Time-Sensitive Promotion
The UK’s advertising watchdog has ruled that a promotion by bookmaker William Hill breached regulations by encouraging irresponsible gambling. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) said a voucher distributed at one of William Hill’s bookmakers created incentives for repeated play within a short period.
The case arose after a customer received a voucher on April 3 at 11.51 am. The voucher offered a “£5 cash match on any game.” To qualify, customers had to stake £50 or more on gambling machines before 5.20 pm that day. The voucher was then only redeemable between 5.20 pm and 11.59pm on the same date.
The ASA found that this design encouraged customers to wager more than they otherwise would. To claim, players would need to continue to play within the same visit or be forced to return later in the day. The regulator said that it considered linking the reward to a same-day timeframe, particularly during a limited seven-hour period later in the day, to incentivise behaviours that could encourage irresponsible use.
William Hill Defence
William Hill, owned by Evoke, defended the promotion. They argue it did not create “time-sensitive pressure” on customers to keep playing. The operator told the ASA that “very few” customers redeemed the voucher within two hours of receiving it. They also say the majority waited at least three hours. According to the betting company, these “extended gaps” indicated that customers were leaving the shop before returning to redeem their vouchers.
William Hill claimed that this undermined the ASA’s suggestion that the promotion pressured customers to extend their gambling sessions. They also emphasised that the voucher was a “low-value, one-off reward” and not part of any “broader incentive structure.” The operator also added that the terms of the promotion were communicated “clearly and fully.” The terms and conditions were displayed on digital screens in the shop and also on the voucher itself.
The bookmaker also highlighted that staff in their retail betting outlets are trained to monitor gambling behaviour. They are trained to spot signs of repeated visits, which could suggest a problem.
Continued Pressure on Operators
However, the ASA rejected these arguments. The watchdog stated that, as the voucher was only available to those who had already staked £50 on machines earlier that day, recipients had already engaged in significant gambling activity. They also concluded that the time restriction created an incentive for customers to make multiple visits on the same day. This behaviour increases the risk of problem gambling habits.
The ruling highlights the increased scrutiny of UK gambling operators and their promotions. The ASA intervenes against adverts or offers that encourage excessive or irresponsible gambling.
In this case, it concluded that William Hill’s same-day cash match breached safeguarding rules and banned the promotion. The decision increases pressure on operators to ensure marketing does not undermine efforts to encourage responsible gambling in the UK. It is especially important in betting shops where customers are directly exposed to the incentives.
